Barry Ferguson has praised Clement since he arrived at Rangers. Credit - Go Radio
Barry Ferguson has praised Clement since he arrived at Rangers. Credit - Go Radio

Barry Ferguson shares new Philippe Clement sack verdict at Rangers

Jonathan Burnett

Jonny is a University of Leeds journalism graduate who became part of the FootballInsider team in Spring 2024, and recently worked as Head of Media for Widnes Vikings Rugby League club. Writing as a freelance reporter and commentator for The Sporting News and StatsPerform, he has covered matches in competitions including the FIFA Men's and Women's World Cups, as well as the Champions League, Women's Euro 2022, Six Nations and the Rugby Union World Cup.

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Rangers need a "major overhaul" of their mentality rather than sacking Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson has said.

Writing in the Daily Record (23 October), Ferguson said that despite the pressure mounting on Clement, the Belgian's recent signing of a new four-year contract at Ibrox means he's "going nowhere".

The Gers' 1-0 loss at Kilmarnock on 20 October, in which their style of play was passive, to say the least, has called Clement into question.

Ferguson said: "Clement is going nowhere – he was handed a new four-year deal just a couple of months ago and he’s been trusted with overseeing a major period of transition.

"He’ll realise that he can’t expect to be given a free pass if the results are not what they should be, so it will come as no surprise to him to hear the supporters venting their unhappiness.

"It’s not a change of manager Rangers need right now – it’s a major overhaul of mentality that’s really required."

Is Philippe Clement the man to steady the ship for Rangers?

Being just a matter of months into a four-year deal makes Clement an extremely expensive manager to get rid of at present, and that's something which the Ibrox board will be very much aware of.

Those in the boardroom – those who are left at least – have drawn the ire of disgruntled Gers fans to a much greater extent than Clement, and this was made clear in the away end at Kilmarnock last time out.

Philippe Clement Rangers
Philippe Clement has come under pressure at Rangers after poor displays this season [Credit: Imago]

John Gilligan, the current interim chairman, currently leads a rudderless club which has been missing a CEO and academy director for months on end and is also set to lose their director of football operations.

As a result, there remains no clear authority figure who fans would have the confidence to decide on Clement's future, leaving the Belgian in a position where the onus is on him to turn things around.

With a change of mentality desperately needed at Ibrox, Clement must step up and do all he can to re-rail his side's form, while also hoping that circumstances upstairs can change for the better.

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